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 RI Earth Day Website
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 Earth Day 2005
News ReleaseRhode Island Earth Day Committee 235 Promenade Street. Suite 330 Providence, RI 02908-5767 Phone (401) 222-3434 Fax (401) 222-2591 http//:www.riearthday.com
EARTH DAY RI ANNOUNCES SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS PROVIDENCE - Representatives from Earth Day RI selected four Rhode Island youths to receive cash prizes for demonstrating exceptional environmental consciousness in their 2005 exhibits at the Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair held March 12 and 13 at CCRI's Warwick campus.Two awards of $250 each went to high school students Rebecca Copeland of Mt. Hope High School and Gregory Turner of Coventry High School. Ms. Copeland presented the project, "Does Kitchen Compost or Yard Compost Grow Healthier Plants?" Copeland showed that compost from kitchen waste grew better seedlings, a fact she attributed partly to the acidity of orange peels in the kitchen compost. Mr. Turner's project, "Eco-Roofs and Their Modern Application in America," investigated how roofs can be utilized for heating and cooling, especially in urban environments. Turner built a small model of a roof and had several drawings and pictures demonstrating various roof models and their environmental usefulness. Two awards of $150 each went to junior high school students Nicole DelGreco of Cranston- Johnston Catholic Regional School and Kendra Dawless of Father John V. Doyle School. Ms. DelGreco's project investigated the question, "How Does Acid Rain Affect the Environment around Us?" DelGreco built a miniature model community and over weeks applied her own "acid rain" (lemon juice, which an advisor favored over sulfuric acid) on the stone, wood, textiles, sod and brass of her model community. She shared her results and made extrapolations based on her research. Ms. Dawless's project on "Biodegradability" focused on which would break down first - wood or fabric - when buried in dirt and sprinkled with water. She found that wood broke down more quickly. Earth Day RI president Jef Fornaro honored the student winners and presented their monetary awards at the Science and Technology Fair awards ceremony on March 17. All four winners and two students who won honorable mentions will be invited to show their exhibits to the public at the Earth Day Festival on April 23rd at Roger Williams Park Zoo. Earth Day RI supports and promotes year round environmental education and awareness in the Ocean State. The organization encourages Rhode Islanders to raise their environmental consciousness by committing to "Take 3" steps to improve their environment. "Take 3" is a call to action which suggests dozens of ways to save energy, conserve water, reduce waste and respect nature. For further information about Take 3 and other Earth Day RI-sponsored programs and activities, please visit www.earthdayri.org. -30- | ||||
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